


New York Pride

by thatnerdemilyj



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Asexuality, Bisexuality, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Gay, Gay Pride, Lesbian, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Pride, pansexuality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 08:35:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19422361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatnerdemilyj/pseuds/thatnerdemilyj
Summary: The gang attends the annual New York Pride festivities together.





	New York Pride

**Author's Note:**

> As promised, here's all your favs attending pride together. I hope you enjoy it!

Simon’s van was filled to the brim with flags of all colors, glitter of all types, and the grinning faces of the large group of friends. Jace sat in the passenger seat, his body angling toward the back seat with one hand resting on Simon’s thigh. He was talking to Clary, Izzy, and Maia, who were all squished in the back seat. Izzy had her legs thrown over Maia’s lap and her head resting on Clary’s shoulder. Clary placed soft kisses on her head intermittently, the smile never leaving her lips as Izzy twirled her red hair in her fingers. Maia tapped out a beat on Izzy’s legs, matching the punk rock music Simon had playing on the stereo. Helen and Aline were attached at the mouth in the very back with an incredibly annoyed Raphael smushed next to them. The music was loud and the laughter was louder as Simon drove the short distance to the end of the New York Pride parade.

As the group stumbled out of the van, they were immediately bombarded with the loud sounds of pop music pumping from the speakers and the cheerful laughter of the guests. Simons grin widened as he caught a glimpse of the pansexual pride flag blowing in the light breeze. He’d always known his sexuality was fluid, but it wasn’t until he’d met Jace that he realized just how fluid. The blonde man sparked something in him which was a mixture between constant anger and overwhelming love. He was pushed out from his thoughts when Jace’s arm flung around his shoulder, pulling him close.

“Ready to get your stuff? You’re on in about 3 hours.” The excitement and support evident in Jace’s voice, it was enough to cause Simon to lean over and place a wet kiss to his cheek. Jace pushed him away jokingly, their hands now connected as they walked toward the stage. “We’ll see you guys in a bit. Enjoy pride!”

Jace had been obsessed with redheaded women for as long as he could remember. The moment he laid eyes on Clary, he thought he’d found the love of his life. Jace had never felt an interest in men, that is until Simon walked through the door. He knew Alec was gay for a long time, so it wasn’t something completely foreign to him, but there was never anyone who stuck out to him. That all changed the minute Simon entered the coffee shop. With his glasses just a little askew on his face and his hair just a little messed up, Jace was hooked.

It took more than one “accidental” run in for Simon to realize that Jace was interested. Simon had always assumed Jace was trying to get with Clary no matter how many times Clary told him that wasn’t the case. What made Simon realize their connection, was when Jace pretended an ex had walked it. Jace quickly wrapped his arms around Simon, planting a kiss on his lips. When Simon asked what was going on, Jace shrugged and introduced Simon as his boyfriend. From then on, that introduction stuck. It wasn’t until a few days later that Simon learned that the “ex” was actually Jace’s sister, Izzy.

Jace wanted nothing more than to explore New York Pride with Simon, but the pride he had for his boyfriend eclipsed that need. Simon had landed the opening spot to perform on the main stage at this giant event. He’d auditioned only because Jace tricked him into it. When he got the call, Jace had hugged him so hard, he’d lifted him up off the ground. Simon’s smile was the only thing in the world that made Jace’s heart start racing and to see it shine so brightly on a day like today? He couldn’t believe how he’d gotten so lucky.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jace saw Simon continually glancing over to one of the booths selling flags. Right before they reached the stage, Jace redirected them to the booth, Simon resisting the tug of Jace’s hand.

“Jace, what?” Jace walked to the booth, looking at the assortment of flags in front of them. Finding the one he wanted, he reached out and grabbed it before placing a few bills on the table. He turned towards a slightly red Simon and wrapped the flag around his neck, giving Simon a pansexual cape.

“You’re Pan Man. The pansexual superhero who’s about to rock the stage at New York Pride!” Jace yelled excitedly, twirling Simon and gaining the interest of a few people around them. Simon shook his head before he leaned in and connected their lips in a fiery kiss. A few whistles and calls were thrown in their direction, all positive, earning a wide smile from both of the boys. “Let’s get you over to the stage,” Jace muttered, throwing his arm over Simon’s shoulders and leading him toward their destination.

* * *

Izzy was always dressed to kill. Her black leather dress was short and deeply cut, but this was Pride and she could be whoever she wanted to be. Yeah, it might have been a bit too hot for leather and it was probably not the best idea to wear 6-inch heels, but she looked good. And she wasn’t afraid to show it. She looked to either side of her to make sure her girlfriends were still close enough for her to defend if they needed it. Not that she expected to need to, but she was the momma bear of the group.

She’d met Clary first. Pretending to be her brother’s ex-girlfriend in order for him to finally land the guy he’d been pining over for weeks. It was uncomfortable and weird, especially when she’d had to wait another month to see the redhead again so she didn’t blow Jace’s cover. When she was finally introduced to Clary officially, Izzy had immediately fallen in love with her creativity and soft nature. When she found out she was in a relationship, it had taken Izzy a few weeks to convince herself she could just be friends with Clary.

What she wasn’t expecting was to go out on a date with Clary and Maia and fall in love with them both. They were the most interesting couple Izzy had ever met. Clary was a gentle creature who giggled at everything around her. Maia was tough and badass and radiated confidence at every turn. Izzy knew she was in trouble from the start. When Clary asked her on a one-on-one date, Izzy wasn’t even sure it was a date. Until Clary had tucked her hair behind her ear and ran her thumb across Izzy’s lips. Izzy asked about Maia before their lips touched and Clary just giggled softly, rubbing her nose across Izzy’s softly. Clary informed her that Maia would get her turn and proceeded to kiss Izzy so gently, she thought she may melt.

From that moment on, their relationship had grown into one that Izzy never thought possible. She loved Clary and Maia equally and they loved her the same. Izzy never felt like she was ‘joining in’ on Clary and Maia’s relationship and the two women made a point of that. Izzy felt loved more than she ever thought possible and she loved in return as much as her heart would let her. 

Walking around pride with her hand grasped tight in Clary’s while Maia had an arm around her shoulder was the most free Izzy had ever felt. They all wandered together, never breaking their connection as they passed booth filled with flags, pamphlets, and drag queens. Izzy stopped abruptly when she saw the pi symbol out of the corner of her eye. As a major nerd, Izzy wondered what the pi symbol was doing on a flag, so she detached herself from her girlfriend’s and moved through the crowd to get to the booth. 

“Excuse me?” Izzy said softly, motioning towards the black, red, and blue flag. “What is this flag? For like nerdy gays or something?” Izzy joked, earning a hearty laugh from the large man behind the counter. 

“Honey, it’s for polyamory. Like, dating multipl--” Izzy squealed before she could stop herself, a shocked look crossing the man’s face. She turned towards Clary and Maia only to meet their smirks. 

“You never told me we had our own flag!!” Izzy accused, reaching over to grab one and tying it around her shoulders. Clary and Maia giggled together, their hands attached as they watched their adorable girlfriend pay for her flag. “It has pi on it, guys! Pi!!” Izzy reiterated, twirling to show them her newly acquired accessory. Maia stepped forward, pulling Izzy into her arms and kissing her cheek. Clary leaned over and pressed her lips to her other cheek softly, both pulling back to smile at each other. 

“How in the world did we find her?” Maia asked, a look of pride on her face as she glanced back at Izzy, excitedly speaking to the booth owner. Clary shook her head, leaning her shoulder against Maia’s.

“Just lucky, I guess.”

* * *

Aline was used to pride activities. Growing up, her mother was always supportive of her sexuality. Of course, Aline was never going to take anything but what she deserved. She’d always had a strong personality and a hard head. Her mother knew that and if Aline said she was a lesbian, than she was a lesbian. That was that. And her mother would love her no matter what. Aline had never really shown interest in romantic aspects of life. She’d been focused and competitive throughout high school and even more so in college. 

The minute her eyes met Helen’s, she knew she was toast. Helen had just joined the gym Aline worked at as a trainer part time in college. She immediately signed up for all of the classes possible, most of which Aline taught. When Helen walked into the first class, Aline immediately matched up with her. She had tried to make it obvious that she was interested. Helen was a bit more shy than Aline, though. It took a few more weeks for Aline to convince her to go on a date. Their first date was a huge success though and they’d been together ever since. 

Aline glanced over at Helen, who was rifling through the graphic t’s on one of the tables. The woman behind the counter was helping her and Aline could see the flirting from her position a few feet away. Obviously, Helen was oblivious, so Aline had to step in. 

“Hi, beautiful. Which one do you like?” Helen held up a shirt with three moons in different phases, filled in with the bisexual flag. Underneath, it said ‘I am not a phase’. Aline sighed, pulling Helen into her arms and kissing her forehead gently. It was no secret to the two of them that Helen’s family didn’t believe in her bisexuality. They thought she’d get over it and when they met Aline, they finally realized that it wasn’t something to get over. Unfortunately, that caused a rift between them and Helen was all alone. But she had Aline and Aline was sure to remind her that she wasn’t alone every chance she got. 

“I want to get this one, I think,” she said softly, holding it out to the woman behind the booth along with her payment. Aline smiled at her and held Helen just a little tighter. When the woman walked away, Helen giggled into Aline’s neck. “She wasn’t flirting, babe,” she said through her laughter. Aline rolled her eyes and placed her hand on Helen’s chin to meet her eyes. 

“I never said she was,  _ babe _ ,” Aline responded, placing a gentle kiss on her lips just as the woman came back with her change. She smiled at the two of them, placing the money on the counter. 

“You are really cute together. I hope you enjoy pride!” The woman said happily. Aline instantly felt relief flood through her. She was as competitive as anyone else, but she didn’t feel like ruining pride over something like jealousy. Aline wished her a happy pride back and pulled Helen along by her waist. She stopped at another booth and pushed Helen into the seat. At Helen’s questioning look, Aline just smiled, pointing to the glitter tattoos being offered. 

“How about a pink, purple, and blue fairy for my fairy?” Aline said, beckoning the artist over. Helen nodded her head before pulling Aline into her lap and letting the artist start her work. Aline watched as Helen talked with the artist, a smile never leaving her face. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this happy and it was all because of Helen. 

* * *

Pride wasn’t really Raphael’s thing. He didn’t understand why people like him needed a giant event in order to be proud of who they were, but he wasn’t one to step on his friends fun. Well, he absolutely was, but not with this. His group of friends had accepted every aspect of him like it was no problem and he’d promised himself he’d always do the same. He glanced around at the rainbow colors flying through the air and sighed to himself. The sun was too hot, the colors were too bright, and he really just wanted to be at home right now. 

“Mind if I join you?” A smooth voice asked. Raphael turned to see a beautiful man standing in front of the bench he had claimed. He gestured towards the seat next to him, moving over slightly so he could sit down. Raphael looked back at his phone, assuming the man just needed a seat away from the excitement but his voice chimed again. “I’m Meliorn. And you are?” Raphael looked up from his phone to glance back at Meliorn, raising his eyebrows. Meliorn mimicked him, the look on his face urging Raphael to introduce himself. 

“Raphael,” he said quickly, looking back down at his phone. He heard Meliorn laugh beside him and rolled his eyes. 

“You know, for someone at the happiest place on earth right now, you’re pretty glum,” Meliorn remarked, crossing his legs on the bench and facing Raphael. Raphael looked up once more, turning to really look at Meliorn. He had to admit that he was pleasing to look at. 

“I’m here with friends. I don’t really belong… here.” Raphael looked around at all the sexually explicit material and the half naked and leather clad men and women surrounding him. Meliorn tilted his head in question and Raphael sighed. “Not that I need to explain myself, but I’m asexual. I don’t fit in with the LGBT crowd,” Raphael mumbled, a bit scared to meet Meliorn’s eyes. 

It was only a few months ago that he found a term for what he felt his whole life. While other kids in high school were experiencing their first times, Raphael stayed on the sidelines, content to just listen to their stories in silence. In college, when his roommate would kick him out of their dorm to bring a girl home on a Saturday night, Raphael would go study in the common area. People had always told him he’d be happier if he just ‘got laid’. Or that he’d obviously just never found the right person to have fun with. He didn’t see it that way. 

One late night, after the rest of the group had gone to bed, he let out his sorrows as the alcohol swam through his system. He had his head in Simon’s lap and his feet in Izzy’s and he just let it all out. How never in his life did he feel that urge to join with someone. He never looked a woman or man and thought about what they’d be like in bed. He confessed to them about how he wanted a partner, someone to share his life with, but sex just wasn’t something he was interested in doing. Izzy nodded, rubbing a supportive hand up and down his shin while Simon played with his hair. Izzy said the word first. Asexual. She read the definition out loud and something clicked inside Raphael. His tears fell more freely then and his embarrassment was suffocated by the love he had for his best friends beside him. In the end, he’d felt more secure in what he was and he had them to thank for it.

“You belong here, Raphael,” Meliorn said softly. Raphael could’ve sworn his voice sounded like velvet. Meliorn reached towards his hand and Raphael quickly pulled it back, a fearful look on his face. “I want to show you something. Can I?” Raphael nodded slowly, letting Meliorn take his hand. They walked through the crowds of people, their hands never leaving each others grip. Meliorn stopped in front of a booth, finally letting go of his hand. Raphael looked up from his feet to see an upside down triangle filled in with white, gray, and black. He tilted his head back to take a look at the name of the organization and gasped softly. 

“Welcome to The Asexual Visibility and Education Network’s booth, fellas! We have some free stickers and pins and for a small donation, you get a flag!” Raphael gaped at the man and blindly accepted the sticker and pin he had offered. Meliorn handed over a small amount of cash to the man before wrapping a flag around Raphael’s bicep. 

“This is pride, Raphael. You belong here. Just the way you are.” Meliorn gripped onto his arms underneath the flag in a sign of comfort. Raphael didn’t know what overtook him, but he threw himself into Meliorn’s arms and hugged him as tight as he could. Meliorn smiled into Raphael’s shoulder, holding him back just as tightly. 

“Thank you…” Raphael didn’t think the words were enough and he stared down at the black, gray, white, and purple flag covering his bicep. “You… You don’t know what this means to me…” He shook his head as Meliorn took out a marker from his backpack. 

“If you ever need to talk or you know, want to hang out, here’s my number.” Meliorn wrote down the digits quickly on Raphael’s wrist, blowing on the drying ink and causing a shiver to rush through the other man. Raphael shook his head, finally noting the bisexual flag on his cheek. 

“But you… You’re bisexual?” Meliorn nodded, taking a few steps back from Raphael. 

“Sex isn’t a deal breaker, Raphael. I’ll see you around,” he shouted as he disappeared into the crowd. Meliorn didn’t know how much that sentence meant to Raphael or how much that day changed him. 

* * *

The beginning of the parade was starting to look like a riot with the amount of people rushing to their places and making last minute adjustments to floats. Andrew was content watching his boyfriend direct orders to everyone beside him. He just sipped his water bottle, avoiding runners left and right. 

“We’re almost done with the lineup! Marshalls, are you ready?” Lorenzo shouted, standing back as the music started playing on the first float. The Marshall’s shouted back and Lorenzo motioned for them to start. The crowd immediately went wild. Andrew had to hold onto the blockers behind him in order to stay on his feet. He’d never heard anything so loud and cheerful. 

“You okay, love?” Andrew heard Lorenzo’s voice next to his ear and unconsciously leaned towards the sound. Lorenzo’s arm wrapped around his waist as they watched as the parade moved slowly forward. Andrew nodded, letting his body lean into Lorenzo’s chest. 

Andrew had never been to a Pride before. In fact, he’d never really considered it as something he needed to do. When he first came out, he didn’t have any friends who were part of the community. He’d grown up in a small, unpopulated town, where everyone knew everyone and most everyone was straight. It wasn’t until he got to college and met Alec that he realized how many people just like him there were in the world. With Alec came Magnus, the extravagant, flamboyant, tornado of a bisexual man. He’d never met anyone like Magnus before. And with Magnus came Lorenzo. 

_ Lorenzo Rey.  _

Andrew never expected to find the love of his life in college. He had always assumed that when he was 30, he would get tired of waiting and join some online dating service for the incredibly awkward and settle for a less-than-ideal man. He never expected he’d meet Lorenzo. If he did expect it, he would have changed the circumstances considerably. 

Magnus was always the life of the party. And since Alec was more of a sidelines type of guy, Andrew had taken it upon himself to join their club excursions to save Alec from getting hit on every woman and man who didn’t see the undying love in his eyes for the dancing man on the floor. Magnus was so grateful for the new addition, he invited his oldest friend to join them one night. The one night that Andrew decided to get incredibly drunk and dance with Magnus for the first time just had to be the same night. 

This wouldn’t necessarily be a problem for most people, but Andrew was a mess on the dance floor even when he was sober. His body moved to the beat, limbs flailing around carelessly before he smacked a drink right out of someone's hand and all over his pants. In his drunken haze, Andrew had kneeled in front of him, dabbing at the stain with his t-shirt, not noticing the stares and laughter around him, Magnus’ included. It wasn’t until Magnus pulled him up by his arm that he got a look at Lorenzo. And man, was he glad to look. He would have been embarrassed about his previous move if Lorenzo’s eyes weren’t so kindly staring at him. The rest of the night was filled with more kindness, less embarrassing laughter, and gentle kisses Andrew would never forget. 

A few months later, when they had gotten more serious, Lorenzo mentioned to Andrew how the next few months were going to be extremely busy for him as he had many meetings to attend. When Andrew inquired further, Lorenzo shyly admitted his role as Head of Parade Operations for New York Pride. While Andrew had never been to a Pride, he knew that New York had one of the biggest and most exorbitant parades in the country. He was incredibly impressed that Lorenzo was the one that put it all together. 

Andrew had gone to a few meetings with Lorenzo as his boyfriend insisted on ‘showing him off’ to the other members of the group. The group was incredible. They’d ask for Andrew’s input constantly to help him feel included and he’d never heard such a collective gasp when he mentioned he’d never been to Pride. Lorenzo gaped at him but quickly changed the subject upon sensing Andrew’s discomfort. 

After that, Andrew told him about his childhood. It was the first time he’d spoken about it with someone who was like him. Lorenzo had been nothing but supportive of his stories of growing up in a small town where he couldn’t really be gay. He was open about being gay, but he didn’t feel like he fit in anywhere and Lorenzo just grabbed his hand and spoke to him about how much he fit. 

With Lorenzo in his arms, the music and cheers filling the air, Andrew felt an overwhelming wave of emotion rush through him. For the first time in his life, he felt like he fit. 

“Sweetie, ready to head to the end?” Lorenzo whispered, placing a soft kiss on Andrew’s ear and holding him just a little bit tighter. Andrew shook his head, taking a deep breath. 

“Just a little bit longer?” Lorenzo squeezed his waist, nodding his head before placing it on Andrew’s shoulder. Andrew basked in the feeling of being accepted and loved, closing his eyes and taking in all of the sounds around him. 

* * *

Alec knew he shouldn’t have gotten involved in yet another one of Magnus’ crazy ideas. His husband was full of them and somehow, marriage meant Alec was always dragged into them. This was how he found himself sitting in a makeup chair, face covered in makeup and a wig on top of his head. It itched more than he liked and the urge to run his hands over his face was stronger than usual. Magnus finished up the final touches of glitter before kissing his fingers mimicking a chef. 

“Perfecto!” Magnus shouted, twirling Alec around so he could look at himself in the mirror. Alec shook his head, his eyes wide with worry. 

“Magnus, what? I don’t know about this…” Magnus just laughed, wrapping his arms around his husband’s shoulders, pressing the lightest of kisses on his cheek, careful not to mess up his hard work. 

“You look fantastic, my love. Plus, you know that Pearl backed out last minute and she was my duet partner. I need someone I trust who has been to every rehearsal and knows the words and moves. Who better than my at home dance partner?” Magnus fluttered his eyelashes and Alec sighed heavily. There was no way he could say no to that face. 

“I will do the performance with you at the end of the parade. I will wave and throw candy because I support you with my whole heart. But I will  _ not _ be happy about it.” The smile widened on Magnus’ face and Alec couldn’t help but mimic it. He pressed his bright red lips to Magnus’ cheek as he stood up and pulled on the ridiculous outfit Magnus had chosen for him. Magnus had looked amazing in his hot pink leather dress and Alec found himself drooling any time he entered a room in his outfit. Together, they waltzed onto the float, hand in hand to be met with the cheers of the crowd. 

Alec was true to his word, at least mostly. He waved and tossed candy to the crowd, but he _was_ happy about it. He was having a blast. Yes, his wig was hot and his makeup was probably ruined at this point, but the energy was unparalleled. It wasn’t until he heard the whistles and catcalls that he felt a blush creep on his cheeks. He looked toward the crowd to see his group of friends going absolutely crazy. Izzy was jumping up and down, unable to contain her excitement. Maia and Clary were cheering loudly, Maia putting her fingers to her lips for an ear piercing whistle. Jace and Simon were laughing their asses off, both winking when Alec made eye contact. When the float stopped and the first chords chimed, Alec froze. It wasn’t until he felt the reassuring slide of Magnus’ arm around his waist that he snapped back into reality. 

“Ladies and gentleman and everyone in between, welcome to New York Pride!” Magnus shouted, earning a flood of cheers throughout the crowd. Magnus had chosen Lady Marmalade for his performance song and his outfit was enough to have Alec drooling just at the sight. As nervous as he was to perform, the fact that it was Magnus beside him had him moving his lips along to the song. The cheers from his friends boosted his confidence as he strutted his stuff across the float, moving in sequence with Magnus. He dipped and spun and twirled Magnus on cue, both of their smiles lighting up the float just a little more. When the song ended, Magnus pressed his lips to Alec, neither caring about their makeup as they kissed fiercely for all to see. Alec pulled away at another wolf whistle from Maia, waving shyly at his friends. The float moved slowly towards the end, both him and Magnus jumped off only to be pummelled by hugs from the group. 

“Holy shit, Alec. Who knew what a hot girl you’d make?” Jace said, twirling a strand of Alec’s blonde wig in his fingers. Alec shoved him away, rolling his eyes. 

“Okay, but those heals! How are you doing that? They’re taller than mine?!” Izzy screamed, wrapping her arms around her brother’s waist. He held her back, lifting one foot up to take another look at them. 

“Magnus makes me practice with him and apparently heels are a necessity?” Alec replied lamely, suddenly very aware of the outfit he was in. The silver sequined bra was sparkling in the sunlight, the corset around his waist was making it a bit hard to breath, and he couldn’t help but tug down the short skirt Magnus had somehow convinced him to wear. Magnus strutted over, wrapping his arms around Alec’s neck and kissing him once more. The group took pictures of the two of them and Alec made a mental note to destroy them all later. 

“Happy Pride, Alexander,” Magnus whispered, glancing around at all of the beautiful people surrounding them. Alec sighed, pressing a kiss to Magnus’ head. He never thought he’d be this comfortable in his own skin. Magnus had shown him that he could be exactly who he wanted to be and more and he was grateful for his husband every day. 

“Happy Pride, Magnus.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my fantastic [beta](https://schmicosmalec.tumblr.com/) for literally dropping everything to beta this on short notice. I love and appreciate you so much!  
> As always, feel free to scream at me on [Tumblr](https://archeryandeyeliner.tumblr.com/), leave kudos if you like it and comments make me smile.  
> Happy Pride!!


End file.
